Understanding Your Data
CEDAR presents enrollment data in ways that should be intuitive, but it helps to understand where the data comes from and what it represents.
Data Sources
CEDAR works with several types of institutional data:
Course Sections (DESR)
The Department Enrollment Status Report contains information about every course section:
- What courses are offered
- When and where they meet
- Who’s teaching them
- How many students are enrolled
- Current capacity and availability
Class Lists
Detailed student-level enrollment data:
- Which students are in which sections
- Registration status (registered, dropped, withdrawn)
- Final grades (for completed terms)
- Student demographics
Program Data
Information about student majors and minors:
- Primary and secondary majors
- Minors and concentrations
- Student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
- College affiliation
Degree Data
Records of degrees awarded:
- Degree type (BA, BS, MA, PhD, etc.)
- Program/major
- Graduation term
Key Concepts
Term Codes
CEDAR uses 6-digit term codes:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| YYYY | Year |
| T | Term type (1=Spring, 6=Summer, 8=Fall) |
| S | Session (usually 0) |
Examples:
- 202510 = Spring 2025
- 202560 = Summer 2025
- 202580 = Fall 2025
Registration Status
Students can have different registration statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Registered | Currently enrolled |
| Dropped | Removed from course (before deadline) |
| Withdrawn | Removed from course (after deadline, with W grade) |
Data Freshness
When Is Data Updated?
CEDAR data is typically updated nightly during the academic year. The update usually runs overnight, so morning data reflects the previous day’s registrations.
How Do I Know When Data Was Updated?
Look for “as of” dates in reports and on data tables. This tells you when the underlying data was extracted from the source system.
Common Data Questions
Why don’t my numbers match official reports?
Several factors can cause differences:
- Timing — CEDAR uses nightly snapshots; official reports use census date
- Filters — You may have filters applied that exclude some data
- Definitions — Different systems may define metrics differently
- Crosslisting — Enrollment may be counted differently for crosslisted courses
CEDAR data is not official institutional data. For required reporting (IPEDS, state reports, etc.), always use your official institutional data office.
What’s the census date?
The census date is typically the 15th day of the semester, which is the third Friday. Official enrollment counts are frozen at this point for required reporting.
CEDAR data continues to update throughout the term, so it may show different numbers than census-date reports.
How are crosslisted courses handled?
Crosslisted courses (same class offered under multiple subject codes) can be tricky:
- Enrollment may be split across listings
- Credit hours are counted for each listing
- Some reports “compress” crosslisted sections; others show them separately
Check if your view is using “compress crosslists” or showing them individually.
What about cancelled sections?
By default, CEDAR excludes cancelled sections. This gives you an accurate picture of what actually ran. Some reports have options to include cancelled sections if needed.
Limitations
What CEDAR Doesn’t Do
- Official reporting — Use institutional data for required reports
- Real-time data — Updates are nightly, not instant
Data Privacy
CEDAR takes data privacy seriously:
- Data is aggregated for most analyses
- Student and instructor IDs are encrypted
- No personal information appears anywhere